The doorbell rang very early on Sunday morning, making Brooke wake up. She had spent most of the previous day sleeping, but her foot felt much better that morning than it had the previous two nights. She moved slowly and peeped out before opening the door.
"Hey Lucas, come on in," she said with a bright smile.
"Hi, sorry, I know it's really early but I got the first flight in the morning to come here and I didn't have any reservations so I figured I come straight to see you three and then figure out the hotel," he replied.
"No problem. Make yourself at home, the kids are asleep, obviously. Sam and Jamie did a lot of packing last night," Brooke said and began to yawn.
"I am sorry. I should have gone to a hotel," Lucas said, cursing himself.
"No, it's the pain medication," Brooke replied and that's when Lucas noticed that Brooke was leaning against the door, standing on one foot.
"Oh God, sorry. You shouldn't be on that. Do you need any help getting to the couch? I could lift you," he asked.
"No no, I'm much better today, thank you. I'll make you some coffee," she replied, hopping towards the kitchen on one foot and leaning against the counter. Then, she rubbed her eyes to wipe the sleep away before removing all the ingredients. The kitchen was so tiny that Brooke could stand in the same spot and reach everywhere, so that helped.
"How about I make the coffee and you make yourself at home?" Lucas suggested. Brooke smiled but accepted as she began to slowly move back to the couch. She had already removed all the ingredients, so Lucas began to make some for them both.
"Are Jamie and Sam okay with moving?" he asked as walked towards the couch with a cup in each hand. He saw that Brooke had propped her foot up on the couch. Her foot was still purple against her milky white skin, although to Brooke, her foot looked much better. It had been a gnarly swollen mess the night that she had fallen.
Brooke shifted upwards on the couch to make space for Lucas who handed her a mug and carefully took a place next to her, ensuring that he wasn't touching her hurt foot. "Yeah, they are. I mean Sam is sad that she has to say goodbye to Liz, but all in all, both of them are happy."
"Do you know what's happening? How is everything going to go down?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah, Sam explained the process to me during dinner last night. She will have to spend the night at Mike and Norma's or sneak there early in the morning because Lorelai will send an approval of transfer to Nancy first thing in the morning. Nancy will call us and go pick up Sam and get her to the office. The State of New York will approve us as her foster parents and approve Sam's transfer documents. They give some legal paperwork, an Interstate Compact Agreement or something for the shift in states. At Tree Hill, we have to take Sam to Lorelai's office, and get approval from the State of North Carolina before we officially become her foster parents. Then it's all about keeping up appearances for six months and hopefully, they will let us adopt her," Brooke explained.
"Sweet, here, before I forget," he said and pulled out the ring box from his pocket. Brooke's face and ears turned red when she saw the ring. She did not move her hands to take it.
"What, do you want me to get down on one knee again? How many times do I have to give you the same ring, Brooke Davis?" Lucas joked. Brooke giggled and took the box from his palms.
"Smart thinking, Mr. Scott. I had completely forgotten about the ring," she said, toying with the tiny box. Funnily, the ring hadn't left Lucas' mind ever since Brooke left Tree Hill. He kept thinking about what he had accidentally let slip when Brooke was leaving or how intense the fake proposal felt although there was no deep loving speech.
"Everyone was very excited to hear about you moving. Nathan and Haley offered to drive down to New York and take your luggage with them in a moving van, but I knew that none of you had much, so we'll just pay extra at the airport and fly it with us," he suggested, seeing half packed boxes lying around the house.
"Yeah, when Sam first moved in here, she brought her stuff in a trash bag. Apparently, it's common for all foster kids to use them because they have to pack up and move sometimes in under fifteen minutes," Brooke explained. "Oh, then she kept the trash bag and would steal food and hide it in that bag. Most of these homes don't have enough food, so at night, after I slept, Sam would steal some food and hide it in her trash bag under the bed because that is how she was trained. These kids, they stock up, afraid that food will run out. Mike and Norma never fed her. Foster parents usually lock their pantries and Sam thought she was taking advantage of me because I didn't know foster family rules like those. Obviously, I would never let her go hungry, she learnt that eventually, but it took almost a year to rewire her. She has grown up in homes without electricity or running water, some places don't even have toilet paper. This house was a major step up for her and of course the house she will be living in from now on courtesy of you will be a major upgrade."
"Getting you in her life was the biggest upgrade, getting you as her mom, system overload," Lucas joked, making Brooke laugh before she stifled another yawn.
"Am I boring you, Brooke Davis?" Lucas joked.
"No, just the meds have me feeling loopy," she sighed.
"Why don't you sleep? I'll sit at the table and work. I have to make some edits to my book anyway," Lucas replied.
"No, no, it's fine," Brooke said, not wanting to be a bad hostess. "Sam is going to spend the day with Liz. She plans to tell her who we are after we sign papers in Tree Hill. So, she is gone for the day and she will most likely go to the Wheeler's house from wherever she is hanging out with Liz. Is it okay that you won't get any Sam time today? You don't mind helping me finish packing up, right?"
"No, not at all," Lucas replied, genuinely meaning it. He really liked spending time with Brooke and his family, that is when he wasn't arguing with Brooke about her jobs or custody.
Brooke grew very quiet all of a sudden as her face scrunched up. "What are you thinking about, Pretty Girl?"
"Mrs. Garcia, the lady in the building. I have been bringing her groceries and medicines and doing her laundry ever since I rented this apartment. Now, who will do that?" she asked worriedly. "She's too old to go on her own!"
Lucas was surprised but not surprised to hear that. "I'm sure that someone else in the building can help her."
"Luke, the building is mostly inhabited by ex-cons," she rolled her eyes.
"Do you have any friends from work who can help her?" he suggested.
"I could ask Marcia, my friend from the hotel. She doesn't live here but she isn't too far away. Maybe she knows someone in the neighbourhood or maybe Sam knows somebody. I will have to figure it out. Hopefully, Marica doesn't mind making the occasional run. I need to call the hotel and Marty about my unavailability anyway."
"Yeah, you should most definitely do that. Close that book and burn it," Lucas replied with a bit of smugness.
"So I shouldn't carry all my stripper lingerie to Tree Hill with me?" Brooke asked in a deep sexy voice that stunned Lucas. His body got covered with goosebumps instantly upon hearing Brooke that way. Lucas' breath hitched and his eyes bulged out. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but remained quiet. Brooke giggled loudly, satisfied with the reaction she got before yawning yet another time.
"Go to sleep, really," Lucas encouraged.
"I'm sorry," she apologised shamefully for yawning as many times as she had. "Is it really alright if I sleep, the medicines are making me feel really drowsy."
"Yes," came his swift answer.
"That table can be really cold in the morning. Your butt will freeze. We can maybe share the couch. It's like 5:30 in the morning, you must be sleepy too," Brooke replied.
"No, no, you should stretch your legs," Lucas said.
"Yeah and I will," Brooke replied before moving on the couch while taking care of her foot. She rested her head on Lucas lap and gingerly placed her swollen ankle on the pillow she had been using. She covered them up in the comforter and smiled. "Is this fine for you or does my head weigh like a rock?"
"It's perfect," he smiled before allowing his head to sink into the lumpy couch seat and falling asleep with Brooke snuggling into his lap.
"Well, well look what we have here," Sam sniggered when she woke up to find Brooke cuddled in Lucas' lap as they slept peacefully. She was buried in his lap as the comforter draped her. Lucas had his jacket on and his arm circled Brooke's waist, holding her close and ensuring that she wouldn't fall off the couch. His head rested on the top of the couch and he was snoring lightly as he slept with his mouth open. Hearing Sam's voice, both Brooke and Lucas woke up immediately to find Sam smirking at them.
"Hey, Sam. How are you? I landed really early in the morning and came over," Lucas said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"You don't need to explain anything," she answered sassily while walking to the kitchen to make coffee for herself, only to find that there was some already brewed in the pot.
"What time is it? Is Jamie still sleeping?" Brooke asked as she got up from Lucas' lap and carefully propped her foot down. She had to admit, that was one of the best sleeps she had had on that lumpy couch.
"It's around 9 and no, Jamie has been awake for a while. He woke up before me. He's playing with some of his new toys from Tree Hill," Sam remarked. Brooke nodded her head and stood up as slowly and carefully as she could to check on her son.
"So, how was your sleepover with Brooke?" Sam asked Lucas with a giggle as she sipped her black coffee with a tonne of sugar.
"We did not have a sleepover," Lucas replied, although his face was turning crimson.
"You two were sleeping while you were over," she continued to tease him. "If it wasn't a sleepover, what was it, Lucas?"
"Sammy, stop harassing that poor man," Brooke ordered as she walked out of the room with Jamie holding her hand.
"Daddy!" Jamie screamt, letting go of Brooke's hand and jumping into his father's outstretched arms. Lucas looked so happy to see him as he held him tight and close and kissed his large chubby cheeks. Brooke smiled as she sat on a stool and watched the two. Lucas was an incredible father. She never had a doubt about it, but it was really good to see it in action.
"Daddy, did you know that we are coming to Tree Hill again and this time Sammy is coming with us this time?" he asked excitedly.
"Is that so?" Lucas asked, playing along.
"Yes! I am so happy! We have to take Sam everywhere!" he screamed.
"Yes, you can be her tour guide," Lucas said with a smile and Sam couldn't help but feel happy too.
"Ready for tomorrow, Sam?" Lucas asked her. Sam just looked at him with a giddy expression on her face and nodded her head.
"So, what's your day like, honey?" Brooke asked her. "What are your plans with Liz and when are you going to the fosters'?"
"Uhh, I'll get ready and leave to go to Liz's house. I'm eating lunch at hers. Then we're hanging out at Central Park and I'm sleeping over at hers. I'll just sneak in early to go to Mike and Norma's from there. I want my last night here to be with her and not with them. I'll wake up super early and get there," she filled her to-be parents in.
"Okay, I expect you to text me when you leave Liz's and reach Mike and Norma's. Also, take a few things for you to 'pack' in front of Nancy," Brooke suggested.
"Yeah, I have my things for my stay at Liz's tonight in my backpack. A pair of clothes, my toothbrush, pyjamas and other things. I'll just throw those in a trash bag when Nancy tells me that I have to come with her to the office, quickly," Sam rolled her eyes, trained for a quick move.
"Okay honey, take care and call us if you need anything, anything at all. When Mike and Norma get notified, they aren't going to be too happy about their lost paycheck. So, ensure that you're close to Nancy at all times. In fact, ask her if you can wait for her in her car while she finishes discussing things with the fosters," Brooke suggested and caressed Sam's hair before planting a loving kiss there. "I love you and I cannot wait for tomorrow."
"When are we leaving for Tree Hill?" she asked.
"That afternoon. I will talk to Marty about quitting today and go to the hotel to get my final payment. Then I need to talk to the landlord to terminate the lease on this apartment and get my deposit back. If he disagrees, I'll have to find a subletter. Hopefully, all of that goes smoothly and I don't lose too much rental income," Brooke explained.
"It doesn't matter even if the house sits, our flights are booked. We want to finish all the paperwork with Lorelai in Tree Hill on Monday itself if we can," Lucas said, making Sam smile.
"I really can't believe that this is happening. I want to be all mellow so that I don't jinx it, but all I want to say is, thank you. Both of you, really. Thank you so much!"
"Aww, Sammy, we love you," Brooke said and hugged her. Sam let her hug her and Jamie joined in the hug as well. Lucas wasn't sure if it was right for him to join so he stood there awkwardly, deciding the right move. Sam looked at him, smiled and stretched her hand beckoning him to join. Lucas smiled and walked to his family, wow, he had a family, it made his brain giddy. He hugged Sam and Jamie feeling complete and fulfilled. Everything would be fine. He and Brooke would work out the kinks.
"Okay, I'm hungry," Sam whined after they all let go of the hug.
"I'll make some breakfast for everybody," Brooke said and tried to stand from the place she was sitting.
"No, just rest. I'll make it," Sam offered.
"No, it's my turn today," Lucas replied. "It's your last day here. You have to empty out the kitchen anyway." He opened the fridge, but found nothing of substance there. There was a bottle of maple syrup.
"B, do you have ingredients for pancakes?" he asked.
"Yeah, we have some flour and sugar and things," she replied offhandedly, not wanting him to think that she couldn't make her children a decent breakfast.
"I'll help you," Sam offered and opened cabinets bringing Lucas the ingredients. Once he had all the ingredients, Lucas asked Sam to sit as he whisked the batter and heated the skillet. The three sat there, watching Lucas cook for them theatrically. He tossed the pancakes in the air as if they were basketballs and caught them on the pan at the last second. Both the kids were enamoured by his antics as they watched and giggled.
"Daddy, you're very cool," Jamie said, giggling to himself and Lucas knew that Jamie's giggle was the most melodious sound in the world. He was so in love with his children, it took him by surprise. How did he feel such deep love for people that he didn't know until a few months ago? Sam wasn't even his child and the idea that he had lost her had haunted him.
Sam got four place settings out and they all sat to have their meal together. "I kinda like this, all of us sitting for breakfast together," she said randomly.
"I know I'm usually working on the weekends and am gone while you two are still sleeping, but I never miss dinner with the two of you," Brooke defended herself, not realising what Sam meant was them with Lucas. It was true, Brooke always ensured that she was home for dinner. That was her only time with the kids with her two jobs that she juggled.
"Yeah? Yeah, you're right," Sam quickly corrected herself, not wanting Brooke to feel bad. "Breakfast is just, neat."
"Don't worry Sam. At Tree Hill, Brooke will be with you for all breakfasts and dinners. You and Jamie can have breakfast with her, then I will come pick the two of you up. We can drop Jamie to his school and then drive to Tree Hill High. Brooke can work at the Clothes over Bro's office and be back home for dinner with the two of you," Lucas promised.
"Riding to school with your teacher," Sam narrowed her eyes.
"The Coach. I'm still cool," he tried to make himself sound less embarrassing.
"Whatever you say, Coach," Sam answered, making Lucas feel like he was the most uncool person on the planet.
"Were we this horrible to my mother?" Lucas asked Brooke as he tore through a pancake and put a piece in his mouth.
"Oh, we were much worse," she replied, making everyone at the table laugh.
"But Brooke, is this really how it's going to be at Tree Hill?" Sam asked earnestly.
"Well, yeah. For starters, I won't have a car out there and Tree Hill is a small town. It doesn't have accessible public transportation to take you places. There are no subway trains in Tree Hill," Brooke reminded her.
"Wait, then how am I supposed to reach places?" Sam asked, her eyes bulging out.
"Good old fashioned walking," Brooke answered with a smile.
"What! If I want to return home from school without waiting for Lucas, I have to walk all the way to wherever we are living?!" Sam asked, feeling alarmed.
"Honey, Tree Hill is not the size of New York! It's tiny but I understand, we'll work on getting you a bike. It will take a while but I promise," Brooke replied.
"I want a bike!" Jamie screamed, tapping his hands on the table excitedly.
"Yes, I know," Brooke replied. "Soon, I promise, kiddo. Both of you will get bikes… eventually."
"B, I love you, but nobody taught me how to ride a bike. Why is Tree Hill so backward? Trains are basic," Sam argued. She had, after all, only lived in New York. "Is this place dead? Is there anything fun to do out there?"
"It's a gorgeous place. It's not the city, you will take some adjusting, but you will like it, I promise and yeah, there are things to do. There aren't as many Starbucks, but there are cute cafes. Karen used to run a cafe and you have your malls and things, but there are more quaint spots," Brooke tried to explain.
"I can teach you how to ride a bike, Sam," Lucas said, excited to get more first with his kids.
"Is there anything you can't do, Daddy?" Jamie asked. He was so enamoured by the range of things his father knew how to do. He played basketball and knew how to swim and ride bikes and cars. Lucas laughed, finding it funny how much Jamie admired him for knowing basic things that he believed everybody knew, but now that he thought about it, he only knew how to dunk a basket, ride a bike and swim because Keith taught it to him when he was Jamie's age. Keith had bought him his bike and taken him for a ride. He had held on to his bike while Lucas learnt to balance. His mother had been struggling to make ends meet at the cafe. Suddenly, Lucas' way of viewing Brooke completely shifted. He could see her from the eyes he saw his mom with, back when he was Jamie's age. Of course, he didn't remember much, but the footprints of the feelings were so deeply etched inside him that nothing would shake those away. He could imagine how much of a struggle it would have been for his mom to start a new work venture and take care of a baby and how grateful she must have felt for Keith's support. If he could be Keith for Brooke, he would be so happy and content. Lucas looked at the ring box that sat quietly at the table. Keith's ring, Keith's commitment to his mom. He saw himself making a vow. That ring suddenly stood for something. That ring would signify a promise that he would be like Keith for Jamie, for Brooke and for Sam. He would be the support and care that all three of them needed.
After breakfast, Sam quickly got ready and left. Brooke excused herself after Sam struggled to close the door and limped to the bedroom with her phone. Lucas began to wash the dishes they had just used with Jamie's help. Once they were done, Lucas settled Jamie down to watch some cartoons on his phone and stood by the door to listen to what Brooke was up to. He could hear her easily through the walls of the apartment.
"Marty, please," Brooke sighed on the phone. "You knew that I was working on getting out of the business and only doing the club part time. I have been out of the city a few times to set up a new life for me and my family. Yes, I know. You were right. I did come back. Marty, I worked part time, I am under no contract with you. Goodbye," she said on the line and cut the call. Lucas could hear Brooke sigh as she paced around the children's tiny bedroom.
"Hello Mr. Smith, I rent out one of your apartments. I'm calling to inquire about terminating my lease. I need to urgently move back to my hometown, so I am vacating the apartment tomorrow. Is there a way to terminate it earlier and get my deposit back?" she requested. The conversation droned on but Lucas couldn't tell whether it was good or bad from behind the closed door. So instead, he began to pack the kitchen items in a large carton. Brooke limped out of the bedroom ten minutes later and Lucas looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to share. Brooke was surprised for a moment that he wanted to know, but her conversations did concern him and so she took it more professionally than her friend asking how everything went.
"Everything went really well actually. Marty can go screw himself. The hotel said that I could collect my paycheck tomorrow and I could not terminate my lease, but the landlord has another person who was looking for a space to rent and said that I could sublet the apartment to him. I'll get my deposit back only after the lease ends, but I won't have to pay any rent," she answered with a smile.
"That is great! I'm so happy for you Brooke," Lucas said and came towards her to hug her. He hugged her and saw Brooke stiffen and become awkward in his arms. Brooke and Lucas could be great co-parents because they both loved Jamie and his happiness and well-being was both of their ultimate goal, but to be friends with each other was strange. "Umm, should we pack?" Lucas asked, releasing Brooke from the hug when he felt her tense in his arms.
"Yeah, that's a great idea," Brooke replied and slid away from him. With entertaining Jamie, the parents were taking a while to pack, but they had a process. Lucas did the walking while Brooke neatly placed the items in boxes or suitcases and sealed them. Brooke and Lucas slid into easy conversations as well. They spoke about their friends, memories from High School, Brooke told him childhood stories about Jamie and it was going well.
"Hey Brooke what is this?" Lucas asked as he emptied Brooke's closet and came across a shoe box. Brooke's eyes widened as she saw what Lucas was holding in his hand. It was her box. Her box of letters to Lucas.
"No! Don't open that!" she yelled, but it was too late. While Lucas placed the box on the table, the worn out cardboard lid slid off the top of the box, revealing the contents inside. Lucas gasped as he saw what was in them. There was a deafening silence that ensued for a few moments as Lucas got a flashback from the past.
"There are 82 letters in here, and they're all addressed to you. I wrote them all this summer. One a day, but I never sent them 'cause I was afraid...I was afraid of getting my heart broken again, like before. 'Cause you hurt me so bad, and I was afraid to be vulnerable. And I was afraid of you and the way that you make me feel. And I know that doesn't matter now after what I did, but I just thought that you should know. This was how I spent my summer Luke, wanting you... I was just too scared to admit it." he watched like a tape in his mind.
"You did it again, didn't you?" Lucas asked, knowing exactly what she had done. Brooke was always too afraid to admit her feelings. So, to release them, she penned them and kept them hidden in a box of shame. Brooke gulped hard as she squirmed in her seat, which gave Lucas the answer he was looking for.
"When?"
"From the day I found out that I was pregnant," she replied, biting her lips in fear.
"Did you plan on giving them to me, ever?" he asked.
Brooke shrugged her shoulders to show her indecisiveness. She didn't know what she was going to do with them. She only knew that old habits die hard.
"May I read them?" he asked her for permission.
"Uhh, they're uhh, dark. They are full of my fears and insecurities while I was pregnant at the homeless shelter and then the early days of me being a stripper because I still wasn't used to the job. They also have Jamie's accomplishments, but the albums I gave you covered those too and that's all that matters, right?" she asked.
"Do I have your permission to keep these and read them?" he asked again with a straight face as he looked at her with a single pointed focus.
Brooke pursed her lips as she contemplated it. Then she gave a really small nod. If Lucas hadn't been staring her down, he would have missed it, since Brooke was so fearful of him reading her unfiltered thoughts. In some of them, she absolutely blamed him for the predicament she was in, and in the others, she blamed herself for being stupid.
"Whatever you read though, uhh, they were all written when I was at my highest or my lowest. They cover a lot of good moments too, times when Jamie absolutely stole my heart, but, uhh, please show some empathy for the darkness," she warned him.
Lucas nodded his head and put those away on the table. He would find a time and space when he was alone to read Brooke's honest and real thoughts. Brooke was the most vulnerable on paper, he knew that. There would be no walls, no facade. Just a bare and broken Brooke.
Brooke wondered again, if it was a good idea to give him the letters, but what could she even do? All her secrets were out. Lucas knew that they shared a child, he knew about Sam, he knew that she was a stripper and he knew about her living conditions. Yet, allowing him unfiltered access to her mind was scary. She had been the second most vulnerable with him when she gave him her box of 82 letters, the first being when she broke up with him at Nathan and Haley's wedding. Her and Lucas never worked, why had she thought they would back then?
Brooke sighed and watched the box once more before letting go. She was moving on to a better life. Things were looking up for her. She was moving ahead. She had overcome all the pain and misery that those letters were filled with.
"Uhh, so how are we going to share Jamie while in Tree Hill?" Brooke asked. "Especially nights."
"I think he should stay with you for now during the nights, at least until he gets used to living in Tree Hill. It's a new place, new house, new room for him even though he has come down to visit. We can have this conversation again once Jamie is settled. And we could trade off weekends to do things although everyday will be different. We'll get into a schedule. As I mentioned to Sam, I'll come pick him up from yours and drop him to school, pick ups will be dynamic based on both our work, but we have Haley to help us with those as well. Yeah, I think we'll just take it by the day and if we plan our schedules around him, we'll manage just fine."
"Thank you, for being so understanding. Uhh, have breakfast with us everyday. Like Sam said, it's good to have a meal together, all four of us. Before you drop the kids off to school," Brooke offered.
"I'd absolutely love that," Lucas said with a genuine smile. Both him and Brooke were compromising and if they continued to do that, they could really make it all work. Lucas loved the prospect of getting breakfast with both his children everyday. Wow, two children came so easily to him now. Sam was really shaping up to be his daughter in his mind.
Soon enough, it was time for lunch. Since all her kitchen utensils had already been packed, they needed to get food. Brooke sighed regrettably. There were plenty of places around her but nothing delivered and her foot still hurt for her to walk and get them some food. So, Lucas offered to go in her place.
"Okay, but listen to my instructions carefully. Put your phone and wallet in your pocket and keep one hand on your pocket at all times. I mean it when I say at all times. Also, get my purse. I have a pocket knife in it. Take it with you. Threaten to shiv the person if they threaten you for your phone and wallet. You're going to go down and take a left. 2 miles ahead, you will see a diner called Dave's Diner. Get mac and cheese for Jamie and I and get whatever you feel like having. If you get stuck, call me. It's a straight road. Also, pick something for dinner as well, if you're uhh, staying. We're almost through packing, but obviously you can stay and hang out with Jamie," Brooke said.
"I'll get lunch and dinner," he smiled and grabbed his things before exiting. Brooke looked at her foot. Without Lucas, she would be grinding through the pain right now, making it to work and back. Lucas had barely let her stand.
It took Lucas almost an hour, but he returned to the apartment in one piece. He didn't seem to have had any altercations, much to Brooke's relief. The three of them ate together. Lucas noticed how little Brooke ate. Her appetite had shrunk drastically since she had moved to New York. He also noticed how much Brooke ensured that Jamie had enough and was well-fed. She also coaxed Lucas into an extra serving but barely took three bites worth of food in her own plate. When Lucas tried to get her to eat more, she complained that her stomach was full. After they finished, Brooke put Jamie down for a nap while Lucas threw out the takeout container and stored the leftovers in the fridge for their dinner.
Since they didn't have Jamie slowing them down, they continued their ritual. Lucas was particularly enjoying the cleaning as every nook and cranny seemed to have a forgotten piece of lego or a part of a decapitated plastic toy.
"How is Jamie not scared? This iron man's body is missing a head!" he remarked as he brought the toy in front of Brooke.
Brooke laughed seeing the broken figure and instructed, "Add it to the box to throw out."
"Seriously, how many legos does this kid have? We have a carton full of them!" Lucas replied, finding another piece high on an unused pantry shelf since neither Brooke nor Sam could reach that high. "How did it even reach that high up?"
"Oh, a lot of them are actually donated. Uhh, my business is usually slow around Christmas and the holidays as everyone leaves the city to go be with their families. So, things get a little tight monetarily and when everyone is getting presents from Santa in school, it can make kids feel like they were on the naughty list. I struggled with putting food on the table and buying warmer coats and blankets during frigid winters. I could not also buy Santa presents. So, Jamie, Sam and I would visit soup kitchens for the homeless. There would be a lot of volunteers because Christmas is about giving and families would often also have toy drives. Since legos are not restrictive to age and gender, they would get them in bulk and a man dressed as Santa would distribute them. So, Jamie has lots of legos from the Christmases out there."
"Oh my God! That's how you spent Christmas?" Lucas asked, feeling hurt. He remembered how he spent his Christmases. He was always in Tree Hill with Nathan and Haley. Deb was always there for the holidays. Karen, Andy and Lily flew in as well. There was more food than they ever needed or managed to finish. There were plenty of presents for everybody. They were always warm and full. Lucas would call Peyton to Tree Hill during the holidays when they came back from college and try to coax her to come, but she never did because she said that she did not have any family to visit and she was always busy. He didn't even have a way to get in touch with Brooke.
"You can read all about it in the letters. Some of them have pictures. There must be photographs of Jamie in Santa's lap," Brooke replied with no emotion in her voice.
Soon, they had managed to pack everything except the toiletries, linen and clothes that they would need for the night and the next morning.
"Wow, this house suddenly looks so much bigger," Brooke remarked, looking around the bare apartment with the 5 neatly stacked boxes in the corner and the open suitcases in the children's bedroom. Just then, Jamie woke up and ran out. He too was shocked to see the empty house.
"I want to play with both of you. Can we please play?" he requested. So Lucas rummaged for a board game that Jamie had stolen from Tree Hill and brought back to New York with him and the two played games with him.
Brooke checked on Sam after they ate dinner with Jamie and she was doing fine. She was nervous about the next day, but in a good way. "I love you," Brooke told her before ending the call. "Luke, will you take Jamie through his night time routine? Shower, brush his teeth, pyjamas and a bedtime story?" she asked. "I would do it myself but a wet bathroom and my feet aren't exactly best friends. I still can't stand on it for longer than a few minutes."
"Yeah, of course," Lucas replied.
"Come on Jamie, you know the drill," Brooke instructed.
"Can I please watch a cartoon first?" Jamie begged.
"Jamie," Brooke said in her 'I'm about to get angry' voice which made the kid sigh and drag his chair out. "Don't give daddy a hard time!"
Brooke listened to the two giggle from outside as Lucas and Jamie monkeyed around in the bathroom. She smiled, enjoying the sound of their laughter. By the time Jamie ran out of the bathroom, he was dripping wet, full of energy and Lucas' clothes were sodden from head to toe. Brooke began laughing as Lucas walked out, pleased yet not pleased by the tornado that had struck in the shower.
"Yeah buddy, this looks accurate," Brooke laughed as she stood up to scoop Jamie and get him into his pyjamas. "You should go change."
Lucas walked to his suitcase, grateful that he had his bags with him and went back to the bathroom to change. When Lucas entered Jamie's bedroom, he was already tucked in his bed. Brooke was finding him a story to read on her phone since all his books were packed.
"Do you want me to read you your story or your dad?" Brooke asked her son with a warm smile.
"Both!" Jamie yelled excitedly.
"Okay," she said and patted an empty spot on Jamie's race car bed for Lucas to sit on. Brooke held her phone between the two so that they could see the lines of the story book. It was a family story. There was a Mama bird and a Papa bird who loved Baby bird. The parents smiled as they read the tale in funny voices. Once they finished the book, they both hugged Jamie and kissed him goodnight. Brooke turned on the night light and closed the door behind her.
"I got something for you to celebrate with," Lucas said and pointed towards the table where a bottle of red wine sat.
"Oh!" Brooke remarked, seeing the bottle.
"It was in my suitcase. I remembered it when I pulled out a pair to change into. We had to celebrate finally getting Sam and moving you to Tree Hill, away from the club," Lucas said as he worked on uncorking the bottle. He found some disposable glasses they had left out and he poured each of them a glass. Lucas handed the glass to Brooke who accepted it with a blush. She stirred the glass and smelt the aroma. It was definitely a good bottle. Tilting it to her lips, she allowed the liquid to do its job.
"To finally getting Sam and getting you back home," Lucas toasted. Brooke clinked her plastic cup to his and smiled, taking a second sip.
"We'll have to pull Jamie and Sam out of school tomorrow after we finish signing the papers with Nancy," Brooke reminded Lucas.
"Sure, no problem," Lucas replied. Everything was smooth sailing now. They had crossed all the major bridges, the biggest one being Brooke's stubbornness.
Brooke and Lucas discussed more about how they would present themselves the next day. They ran through their fake stories one more time so that they wouldn't mess up their lies and in general prepped each other, asking mock questions and seeing how the other answered while they drank wine.
"Gosh, it's late," Lucas said, rubbing his eyes after he and Brooke had positively spent a few hours together. "I never got a hotel reservation."
"Stay the night. Sam isn't here. Her bed is free. You can sleep there," Brooke offered, She didn't know whether it was her or the wine talking.
"Are you sure?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah, stay," she responded. "Have a sleepover with your son." Lucas felt bubbles erupt in the pit of his stomach when she said that.
"You should sleep on the bed, I can take the couch," Lucas said like the perfect gentleman he was raised to be.
"No, you won't fit here or be comfortable. I can sleep on a bed made with legos at this point," Brooke joked and laughed at her own joke. She wasn't drunk, but she was bolder than normal.
Lucas nodded his head. He put the empty bottle of wine and their cups near the sink and went to Jamie's room after saying goodnight.
After an hour of tossing in Sam's bed, Lucas came out for a glass of water. He saw that Brooke was lying awake on the couch as well, staring into her phone screen.
"Hey, what are you doing awake?" Lucas asked. Brooke got terrified at the sudden sound and quickly locked her phone, hiding her actions as if she had been caught watching something wrong.
"What? Nothing! Hey! Hi! How come you're awake?" Brooke asked. She did not want Lucas to know what she was looking at on her phone. She was reading Lucas' book that he had sent her. She would be damned if he got to know that.
"I couldn't sleep. You're worried about tomorrow too, huh?" Lucas asked her.
"Yeah," she replied meekly. "Stay with me and hang out."
Lucas took her up on that offer and walked to the couch. Just like early that morning, Brooke made herself comfortable on his lap and rested her foot on the pillow. It was cold, so they were cuddling with each other.
"What's your best memory in New York?" Lucas asked her as he rubbed her arms to make them warmer.
"We were at Central Park. Jamie had just turned 1. We were just walking and Jamie spotted an orange ball lying besides the tiny Fisher Price plastic hoops. Our baby walks right over, grabs the ball and dunks it through the hoop. No coaxing, nothing. He just took the basketball and made the very first shot that he ever tried. I will never forget the exhilaration I felt in that moment. It was like, even though you weren't there, you were, like a magical silent force. I wished that you could be a part of his life but with time, it only grew harder. I loved watching you in him," Brooke replied.
"Worst memory?" Lucas asked, continuing to question her.
"New York was snowed in during the winter, like completely snowed. Schools were closed, we couldn't get to work. The pipes were frozen, it was bad and this apartment has no heat. Yeah. The three of us had put on every piece of clothing that we owned as we huddled together on Sam's cot. Our blankets and comforters were draped over us and we were shivering. The cold had Jamie and Sam feeling drowsy. My lips felt like they were turning blue. I was so scared for the kids, that they would get hypothermia and not be okay. It was the longest and coldest night ever," Brooke shuddered as she said that.
"What's your funniest memory of Jamie?" Lucas asked next to lighten the mood.
"Sam kept dancing around the house on this song that she had been listening to. It wasn't kid friendly but Jamie was so starstruck by Sam that he wanted to learn it and Sam taught it to him. Now, this kid has a talent show in school that he asks Sam to help him with. He dances in front of his teachers and the classroom during the auditions on that song, so proud of himself for nailing the steps. I was called to school and asked to explain myself for teaching my son that dance routine! I had no clue about it! It was hilarious and Sam only laughed hysterically with no remorse. Jamie was confused as to why we needed to pick another song for him to dance on. Aye yaye yaye!"
Lucas burst out laughing when he heard that and Brooke jabbed him in his ribs to get him to stop, expecting him to tease her.
"When did you know Sam was your forever family?"
"Oh, easy. So, things were tough for a while after Sam moved. It was a lot of Sam running away, doing drugs, rehab, parties, it was a whirlwind. Then one day, while she was sneaking to a party, she took Jamie with her. I caught her in the junkyard and she was certain that I would kick her out because she had put my- I mean our son in danger. She began to pack her trash bag but instead of kicking her out, I grounded her, took a leaf from your mom's book. Do you remember? She was as baffled as I was when your mom taught me what chores meant, although in Sam's case, she was on the other end of the spectrum. You make a mistake, you get placed somewhere else. That is when Sam realised that we were talking forever. So, as a part of her apology and to not screw a good thing up, she woke up super early the next day, got dressed and made me breakfast. She sat at the breakfast table waiting for me to wake up and then surprised me with it. She wasn't a little Tasmanian devil heathen that day. We talked about how school was and things as all three of us ate breakfast together. That's when I knew. I wanted her in my home forever."
Brooke and Lucas didn't sleep that night. They continued to talk until morning, cuddled and warm in each other's arms.